Page 33 of If You Give a Grump a Christmas Tree Farm
My pencil stills. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.” He jerks his head toward the door. “Grab your jacket, and let’s go. It’s a nice sunny day. Let’s enjoy it.”
I hesitate, considering it, but a rejection hovers on my lips. What would people say if they saw us together? Catching myself, I change my mind. I don’t owe anyone an explanation, and I’m tired of being the nice girl who does nothing wrong or even exciting. Why not take a ride with JJ? But there is one thing making me pause. “You won’t ride recklessly, will you?”
He puts a hand to his heart. “Got my word. I’ll take good care of you. And if you don’t like it, I’ll turn around and bring you back.”
His expression tells me he’s sincere. “All right, then. A ride would be nice.”
Ten minutes later, I meet him outside. His bike is already rumbling as he sits astride it, and I’m taken aback at how good he looks on the thing. Powerful and dangerous and badass—all the things I never looked for in a man.
JJ passes me a helmet, and I strap it on. Then he grins and pats the seat behind him. “Climb on, darlin’.”
Slipping onto the seat behind him, I’m super close to him, our bodies touching and my thighs bracketing his. He helps me find the foot pegs, then pats my knee.
“You ready?”
I nod, then lean closer to be heard over the engine. “Ready.”
He wraps my arms around him and pats my locked hands. “Hold on tight.”
The feel of his abs under my hands has my mind going to all kinds of places that would put me straight on Santa’s naughty list. I decide to start my mantra.One, he’s your dead husband’s brother.
JJ drops it in gear, and we roll down the gravel drive.
Two. He’s your business partner.
Once we pull out onto the blacktop highway, he hits the throttle, and the bike surges forward beneath us, and all thoughts of why I shouldn’t be with this man are left in the dust.
I can’t help the giggle of excitement that escapes me, and I know he hears it when he turns his head to the side, and I catch the smile on his face. This is JJ’s world, and I’ve just entered it.
Good to his word, he doesn’t go too fast or do anything to make me uneasy, and I soon relax and enjoy the ride.
The leaves are all beautifully golden, and the sky is a crisp blue. Everything on the back of the bike is intensified—the scent of the pine trees, the wind in my face, the sun beating down. It’s so different from riding in a car, and I’m instantly hooked. Rather than watching the scenery flashing past, it’s like we’re part of it. It’s exhilarating.
We ride for about twenty minutes, and then JJ turns in at a scenic overlook and parks in a spot. I climb from the back, and he shuts the engine off, pulling his helmet off and hanging it on the handlebar.
I unbuckle my own and laugh. “That was awesome.”
“Glad you liked it. I thought you might.”
“It was amazing. So different from riding in a car.”
“Definitely.” He takes my helmet and hangs it next to his. “Ever been up here?”
“No. What is this place?”
“I used to come up here a lot in high school. It’s not far from where we used to live. Anytime I needed to get away and think.”
“The view is phenomenal.” We can see for miles. There are only two other cars up here, the occupants a distance away. “I’m surprised there aren’t more people.”
There’s a low stone wall, and I sit on it. We’re both quiet for a while, but then I can’t help asking the question that’s been on my mind since I met JJ. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why don’t you want the farm?”
He kicks his biker boot at some stones. “I grew up coming to that farm and loved it, but my family is here, and I don’t want any part of them.”
